2025 Constance Ferebee Jones Award
Women’s Healthcare & Wellness
Ms. Tasha Turnbull
Tasha Turnbull is a dedicated and inspiring wellness advocate who has transformed her personal journey into a powerful platform for community impact. After achieving a remarkable 100-pound weight loss, Tasha channeled her experience into a career focused on health, fitness, and empowerment.
Tasha has played a vital role in introducing and expanding health and wellness programs throughout the Tidewater area. Among her most impactful initiatives is the T2 Fresh Start Initiative—a comprehensive 12-week wellness program designed to support individuals managing diabetes and hypertension. This program equips participants with the tools and support needed to take control of their health and make sustainable lifestyle changes.
Another signature program, The Movement Experience, is presented through her nonprofit, the T2 Fitness Foundation. T2 Fitness Foundation engages in educational and charitable activities in the community to enhance the health, fitness level, wellness, and quality of life of its citizens. T2 Fitness is designed to reignite physical energy, restore mental clarity, and reconnect individuals with the joy of movement. In addition, the foundation hosts weekly community walking groups, encouraging regular physical activity and fostering a supportive environment for all fitness levels.
Tasha’s unwavering commitment to excellence and community wellness has earned her recognition across multiple cities and states. Her leadership and impact were honored when she was named a News 3 Everyday Hero, a testament to her dedication and influence. She is also the author of The Last 10lbs: How the Last 10 Helped Me to Lose 100lbs and is one of twenty-five women sharing their feelings about money and wealth in the book, She's Got the Power: Women Building Wealth Through Financial Literacy & Sisterhood. These books serve as valuable resources, offering practical guidance and motivation for those seeking to improve their health and well-being.
2025 HBCU Award
A call to action
Dr. Melody Webb
Dr. Melody Webb holds the distinguished honor of being appointed the first African American female Director of Athletics at Norfolk State University on July 1, 2020.
Dr. Webb joined the NSU staff in April of 2014. In that role as Associate AD, she oversaw the business office, facilities, game operations and external relations, which included media relations, ticketing, marketing, promotions, fundraising, and corporate partnerships. In addition, she was the departmental Title IX coordinator and worked strategically with the Office of Institutional Equity to ensure Title IX compliance.
Beyond the significant changes already realized, Dr. Webb's strategic hiring of Michael Vick is set to introduce transformations previously unseen on the campus. Under her direction, not only has NSU won MEAC championships in multiple sports, and NCAA qualifications in 2021, 2022, and 2025, the school also posted the highest semester GPA in school history, making NSU a student's dream for both athletics and academics.
She also served as the lead administrator for the women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis and softball programs. Dr. Webb helped to provide strategies that drove revenue streams while increasing brand management and awareness to support the mission and vision of NSU athletics. Under her leadership, Webb oversaw more than $2 million in facility upgrades and renovations, including the installation of video scoreboards, locker room renovations and replacement of the original court in Joseph G Echols Hall, and new artificial turf at Dick Price Stadium, all helping to make Norfolk State University a top contender for recruiting top athletes and attracting a diverse student body.
Dr. Webb held multiple positions prior to her tenure at Norfolk State, which shows her commitment and dedication to HBCU's. She has held the position of Associate Commissioner for Business Operations within the CIAA, head coach of volleyball at Bowie State University, and Athletics Director at Elizabeth City State University. She earned her bachelor's degree from Savannah State University, master’s from Bowie State University, and Doctor of Education from the United States Sports Academy. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
2025 Carla Perry Award
Economic Legacy
Ms. Danica Royster
Ms. Danica Royster is a distinguished Financial Services Representative and Wealth Consultant with First Genesis of Virginia. She is a visionary leader and dedicated public servant. Her ability to think outside the box and develop creative solutions has set her apart as a leader in the financial sector. She has not only guided individuals and businesses toward financial success but has also empowered them with the knowledge and tools to build lasting wealth. Her innovative thinking and problem-solving skills have transformed the lives of many, proving that financial empowerment is a powerful tool for change.
Beyond her professional excellence, Ms. Royster has demonstrated exceptional leadership throughout her tenure as a Norfolk City Councilwoman (appointed in 2021) of Superward 7. She has been a force for progress, advocating for policies that uplift the community and works tirelessly to address pressing social and economic issues. Her leadership is characterized by a clear vision for the future; one rooted in inclusivity, sustainability, and opportunity for all.
Ms. Royster serves on the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and the Board of Directors of South Hampton Roads YWCA. She served as co-chair of the Mayor's Advisory Committee. Other recognitions include Inside Business 2023 Top Forty Under 40; ODU Alumni Association's Inaugural Top 40 under 40 class; and Millennial on the Move by CoVaBIZ for exemplifying success in her profession
Ms. Royster's impact extends far beyond her official roles. She is a dedicated community advocate, always striving to make a difference through mentorship, outreach, and service. Her resilience in overcoming challenges, both personal and professional, serves as an inspiration to those around her, proving that obstacles are merely steppingstones on the path of success. She is a true pioneer, and her legacy and leadership will continue to inspire future generations.
2025 Lillian Brinkley Award
Global Educational Impact
Mrs. Barbara Hamm Lee
For over 27 years, Mrs. Barbara Hamm Lee has made a difference in the city of Norfolk and Hampton Roads as a veteran journalist and adjunct journalism professor at Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University. She has served as WHRO's Chief Community Engagement Officer since January, 2008, responsible for local television productions and programming. She is executive producer and host of Another View, a weekly talk show that examines issues of particular interest to the African-American community in Hampton Roads.
She is also the owner of Sharing Info, LLC, a media/communications consulting company that specializes in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) training, located in Norfolk, Virginia.
Her immense efforts to use her skills as a journalist to educate and bring awareness to issues impacting the African American community in the city of Norfolk is evident as she uses her platform, Another View, to foster dialogue, educate the public about issues and solutions to impact policy changes in a variety of areas as an educational activist.
Barbara is very involved in the community, serving as a board member for the Virginia Humanities, Let Freedom Ring Foundation, Freekind, and the National Center for the Prevention of Community Violence. She is a former chairman of the board for the YWCA, South Hampton Roads, and the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners.
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Barbara is married to Maxie Lee, has two daughters and a granddaughter. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Bennett College and attends First Baptist Church, Berkley.
2025 Joyce Gilliam Brown Award
Cultural Educational Enrichment
Mrs. Sia Alexander
Mrs. Alexander is a 1992 graduate of Howard University, with a B.A. degree in Human Psychology, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She attended Stanford and Princeton Universities. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, she has written a spiritual guide and an automythography. She has curated global and local contemporary art, winning an Emmy award for Pure Lagos African Art Gallery in Norfolk. She has also curated collections at The Smithsonian African American Museum and other artistic outlets.
Pure Lagos African Art Gallery, hosts community events, workshops and residencies for artists in an innovative effort to transform Hampton Roads’ most marginalized citizens. She sponsors spaces of healing through beauty, writing and art, to usher in holistic health, creativity and spirituality with countless people around the globe.
Sia is a connoisseur of Afropolitan cuisine, yoga, meditation, cycling and art in all its myriad forms. She curates global and local art, which has been featured in a plethora of venues such as Disney+ The Crossover Series, The Smithsonian African American Museum (The Blacksonian), The Slover Library, and Chesapeake Public Library.
The nonprofit wing of Pure Lagos aims to heal the legacy of the transatlantic trade in human beings, through the sharing and cultivation of creative artistic expression. Mrs. Alexander’s cultural contributions are noted in the Norfolk community.